The End of the Begining
by scars-of-a-fallen-angel
Summary: Clary's life has been a rollercoaster of emotions and trauma. Every year she promises herself that this will be her year. She will become the strong independent woman that she aspires to be. But life has other plans… Jace's life has scarred him in more ways than one. Every year he promises to protect his love ones not matter the cost.But life has other plans…
1. Chapter 1

There was no worse a feeling than the feeling of replaceability. An endless void of nothingness. She looked around to see all of her friends living their lives, smiling, being the happiest they could be – without her. She heard their laughter, felt their joy all the while she watched, hidden in the shadows, imagining their lives without her in it.

Their smiles were so much brighter, their laughs were a song that the world didn't deserve to hear but she took that away by pulling them down to their lowest. Down to her level so that she wasn't lonely in this world filled with likes and followers. She did it to make herself feel better, but she was just a guilty heart in this production of memories.

Everyone knew that the world would move on.

Nothing stood still. Everyone moved on. They got on with life. Some tried to forget and ease the pain. Some tried to hold on through the memories. But the pain didn't fade; it became numb and replaceable. Along with her.

Its funny how life turned out. She was once so sure of her life. She knew what she had to d in life and she was prepared to do it or so she thought.

Clary fray was not your ordinary girl, with her humble looks and feisty attitude.

Clary never saw herself as the centre of attention, to be honest she hated it when people concentrated on her, asked her questions about her life. She hated it with all her being.

In elementary school the harsh 5th graders made her miserable. She often came running home pleading with her mom Jocelyn to dye and straighten her frizzy fiery crimson locks. But her mother taught her the hard truth that the world is full of cruel close-minded people who were ruled by their green-eyed monsters and tried to destroy those that were the monster's targets.

She cried in Jocelyn's arms till every inch of the midnight sky was covered in beaming stars, watching as a little naive girl became a woman with a lethal weapon that no guy could resist.

Everything changed that night. For better or for worse…

Suddenly the first day of high school arrived, Clary couldn't wait for the fresh start.

_This is the start of the rest of my life. A clean slate. I can't wait._ She thought.

Clary was torn away from her thoughts be a spontaneously rapid knock on the front door.

Clary's family wasn't rich, but they weren't poor either. Her mother Jocelyn worked in a clothing shop just three blocks from her house with Mrs. Lightwood (Maryse) earning enough money to pay the rent and fund their crazy art collection. Maryse was the mother to Clary's only female friend Isabelle. Isabelle was the only daughter of Maryse and Robert Lightwood, their little princess. Isabelle could do no wrong. Isabelle had been friends with Clary since 6th grade when Seelie Queen made a public display in the school's hall, allowing Clary a taste of the years of torment to come. Seelie publicly accused Clary of being the daughter of a man-whore, then poured a shockingly cold caramel iced frappe over her head, without another glance Seelie turned on her heel and sauntered of to her seat among the populars.

Clary ran to the girl's bathroom, tears cascading down her rosy cheeks leaving a trail of salt behind her. In the girl's bathroom was where Clary first met Isabelle. Isabelle comforted Clary in her time of need, cleaning the frappe out of Clary's hair and skipping the rest of the school day to know more about each other.

Since that day the pair had been inseparable, with the exception of Simon Lewis. Simon was Clary's best friend since forever. They met in kindergarten after 'the chocolate cake incident' and had been forever bonded since. Despite the new addition to their group and Clary's femininity, Simon and Clary were still very close.

'Hey Fray, you dressed in there?' Came Simon's soft voice through Clary's bedroom door.

Clary risked a glance at her reflection whilst replying with a shaky 'yes'.

She wasn't dressed in anything spectacularly, just some washed put ripped jeans, a black vest top and a red flannel shirt around her waist. Clay wasn't one for make-up, she rarely wore it. Only for special occasions, even then its was a touch of eye shadow, a brush of mascara and some lip gloss. For this occasion, Clary decided to wear her fiery locks in a piled up messy bun. Her hair was a mess with loose tendrils all over the place.

'Screw it. I guess I'll have to wear it down.' She finally gave up and loosened the hair tie letting her hair fall to the base of her spine. Clary despised her hair, but it was one of the traits she inherited from her mom, that and her talent for art, so -despite being eighteen on this day- she still had not dared dye hair famous red locks.

'Looking good, Fray. Think you're ready? Isabelle will meet us at school. Something about makeup, mascara, and murdering some brand. Come on.' Said Simon. It wasn't a surprise that Izzy wouldn't be riding with them, she could always ride with her brothers, but what was a surprise was the sudden pit of anxiety Clary felt growing in her stomach.

'Ready as I'll ever be' she replied and with that they left the house and ventured on the journey to high school completely oblivious to the changes that were headed their way…


	2. Chapter 2

Fear spread, coursing through her veins. Each step felt like lifting bricks from one area to another. She wished she was invisible. Blood rushed to her soft pale cheeks turning them an embarrassing shade of piglet pink. Icy winds weren't helping, knifing her from every direction since she left the comfort of John's car. Sea salt somehow managed to find its way through the air to her lungs, filling her with a sense of complete calmness, easing the anxiety manifesting within her.

_Breathe in. Breathe out_. She thought, repeating till her breathing was even.

Her frizzy red hair made her the centre of attention. That and the two guys who stood beside her – or more accurately shielding her. John and Simon.

Slim but toned. Good looking but nerdy. Simon was completely clueless as to what puberty had done to his physique unlike Johnny. Johnathan Christopher Morgenstern, older brother to Clarissa Adele Morgenstern- the art freak- was the captain of the football team and tied most popular guy in school. Whilst Clary was cursed with fire for hair, John was blessed with looks associated with God's and he knew it. Girls often drooled over Johns hair and the way that even when messy it just seemed perfect. It even had the perfect contrast to his sun-kissed skin, being platinum blonde, the complete opposite of Clary's fiery locks that couldn't be tamed. John was a play boy which added to the long lists of reasons why Seelie hated Clary.

Seelie had fallen for the playboy before he became popular, back when he was just Clary's older brother. But when John heard about 'the cafeteria incident', he started a brutal rumor about her shitting herself in 5th grade. Seelie got her heart ripped out of her chest and she blamed Clary. After that Seelie became a cold-hearted bitch driven by revenge and determination. A deadly combination.

Especially for Clary.

Clary couldn't understand it. How could someone be so cruel over a guy? Her brother at that?

Clary had never had a first kiss, let alone a boyfriend. She had tried kissing Simon in middle school, so she would have experience before high school, but it failed miserably. Both parties felt so uncomfortable that they burst into a fit of giggles. So, Clary remained a clueless 'lip-virgin'.

'I have to go Clare but find me at break. I'll be at the bleachers' said Johnny, his big brother side making an unexpected appearance. He hardly ever did that but when he did Clary loved him for it – but she'd never admit that out loud.

'I'll be fine John. Isabelle is just over there and whilst Simon is catching flies in his mouth gawking at her, he's beside me.' was Clary's reply.

Isabelle was wearing a violet plunging neckline camisole, a jean jacket that her and Clary had only bought two days earlier, a white skater skirt and a pair of 5-inch heels as her favorite thing to say was 'nothing less than 5 inches'.

Isabelle applied that to more than just heels.

'Girl you look great but what happened to wearing skirts from now on?' Clary had promised at the weekend that she would start wearing skirts, but she didn't mean from that moment.

'Didn't realise there was a tornado this morning, Red.' Came the irritatingly, smooth, cocky, arrogant, retort of none other than the school's Golden boy, personal man-whore and suitable Seelie's sister Kaelie's ex.

The other J.C. Johnathan Christopher Herondale. The golden God. Man-whore.

Jace fucking Herondale.

Isabelle's god-brother was nothing short of a pain in Clary's ass. Always annoying her with stupid childish names. Always teasing her. He made Clary's life even more miserable. It was only fitting that he dated Clary's enemy's sister. The perfect duo. Too bad it wouldn't last. Jace had a different girl on his arm every week. It disgusted Clary. She sometimes retorted to his comment by stating that at least she didn't have multiple STD's. Man-whore.

Once, after spending the day at Izzy's, clary came home crying as Jace had taken a pair of scissors to Clary's hair. Even though Clary hated her hair she believed in common decency such as not to cut a girl's hair without asking at least. The worse thing was that he kept a hold of the lock of fire claiming it was no longer Clary's problem. The cheek.

When Clary told Jocelyn, her mom told her that sometimes boys were mean to the girls they liked because they are scared that the girl will realise that she is too good for said boy and will reject them or just to get their attention. Clary just laughed in her mother's face. The absolute absurdity of the thought.

Jace liked Clary. No. Jace couldn't like Clary he hated her.

She had everything he didn't. Two happily married parents and John She was surrounded by unconditional love. Sure, Jace had a family by choice, the Lightwoods. They were his true family, who cared for him and loved him as if he was their own. But at the end of the day he always had to return to the Herondale Manor where his father held resident.

Jace had one biological parent left but Stephen wasn't a parent, as far as Jace was concerned he just a sperm donor. Both had suffered an unimaginable loss but instead of confiding in one another, they blamed each other. When Jace's mom Celine died Stephen became a work fanatic alcoholic. He never had time for him. Once Stephen came home drunk and discovered that Jace had lost a fight at school, another time Jace's report card included a B. Both had the same affect on Stephen. He became a mad man, full of anger and driven by alcohol. Jace knew his father blamed him for his mother's death and deep down he felt he was right; but he never knew how much his father blamed him till that night. Jace started staying at the Lightwoods as often as possible, Stephen started taking more and more business trips for a longer period of time. Whenever the Lightwoods asked Jace any questions about bruises or scars, he would simply ignore them and tease Clary.

Clary was his distraction.

But Clary didn't know that. Clary believed Jace hated her.

'Didn't realise this school allowed jerks like you to wonder around halls hunting for the next notch in your belt.' Clary retorted back to his tornado comment. She had tried to tame her hair it wasn't her fault it wouldn't cooperate.

'aww. Is Clare-Bear jealous?' His eyes searched for a reaction like a lion stalking its prey.

'You wish asshole.' But her eyes told a different story.


End file.
